Hi all,

Here's my situation. Grandpa left me his fishing truck. I've got to move a 1976 Scout from Pueblo Colorado to Lexington KY. as cheaply as possible. I've got a 2001 Windstar van with a class 3 hitch but Windstars are only rated for a 2000LBS towing capacity. If I put the Scout on a tow dolly and disconnect the rear drive shaft am I gonna burn up the tranny in my van towing it? Scout is stock and in running condition but it's unknown how far it'll make it down a 1200 mile long drive.

Question, how much does a Scout weigh with Full top, V8 and auto?

Thanks folks.

Tow the windstar with the scout!

The Scout should weigh in around 5,000 pounds. The biggest problem you are going to have is braking. that is what that 2,000 pound rating is mostly about.How much extra weight you can stop, not just how much you can pull. It will be a safety issue not just a money issue of a toasted trans. Old Scout is right though.....if the scout runs use it to tow the ford.

From Ky to Co, it would probably be just as cheap to get a ticket from Frontier airlines and drive it back. Thats what I would do. :)

5000lbs!

Thanks. I knew somebody would suggest the "tow the Ford" idea. If it had a hitch and I had more faith that's what I'd do. Think I'll drive it as far as I can on it's own then tow it if necessary. I'll post pic's of it if anybody's interested. As I recall the engine was so clean it was beautiful to stare at but the rear end leaked like an untrained dog.

I hated that show but if it gets me a few lookers hey....

The Scout has been sitting for at least three years but has been started periodically (never moved). What problems am I most likely to see from this thing when I start off down the road? I'm thinking of changing oil/filter and antifreeze at the minimum before I leave Pueblo. Any other recommendations?


tks.

Bleed the brakes and check the levels of oil in the diffs and transfercase. Lube all the u-joints and slip yokes on the the drive lines Replace the fuel filter and carry a few spare ones.

Don't forget to check the belts...... I drove my 76 from Pennsylvania to Arizona towing the biggest Uhaul trailer packed full with NO problems! I put a ball on the bumper and away we went!!

hey old scout,

what kind of axles/xfer case/tranny am I looking at under a 76 IH? It's got the auto and 345CID ... reason being I'm wondering how much 90W I gotta bring. I'm still gonna post those pic's.


TKS..

never mind on that last.... just did a search and found out what i needed... imagine that.


BTW old scout... that pic of you scared the bejeezus out of my kid. we'll never get her to another circus!

I recently towed a 74 scout2 with my s10 blazer BAD IDEA. tow the van with the scout

Get a tow dolly with brakes if you decide to go this route.

hoses and thermostat. check brake and fuel lines both hard and soft. waterpump weep hole. ujoints squeaking?

Well here's what happened for those interested. After sitting for years in the garage doing nothing more than starting it once every 6 months... I fired it up and drove it around Pueblo for a total of 8 miles before deciding it could make it "as was". Followed by the van we headed towards Kansas and 400 miles into the trip the right front tire developed a bubble. Swapped it with the spare and got another 50 miles when it blew completely apart. Put original bubble tire back on and found a great group of guys at a Sears that worked after hours to get me back on the road. That's it. A blown tire. Awesome vehicle. I'm selling the other minivan and driving this thing A to B daily. Rear springs are sacked and AC needs a recharge other than that it's fine. BTW... i carried tools/spare oil/anti freeze/duct tape and fuel filters which is probably why I never had a problem. Anybody in KY. got springs for sale?